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terrible gas milage

dennit469

Active Member
Joined
May 8, 2009
Messages
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City, State
aiken, sc
Year, Model & Trim Level
98 sport 4.0L v6 SOHC
always had bad gas mialage but this week i filled up sunday and had to again today, as soon as gas light came on i filled up, put in 15.8 gallons and trip meter read 179 miles, its a 17 gallon tank on a 98 explorer sport 4.0L v6 sohc, if im right thats about 11.3 miles to the gallon, which to me is pretty bad, when i first got the car it would get about 250 miles till gas light came on, everything is stock except the air filter which is an open air box with round k&n air filter, i had to replace the MAF senser a lil while ago because check engine light came on saying it was to lean, then the new MAf solved the problem with dead power, the gas milage has steadily gone down over the period of a year. it has 95,600 miles, bought it with 79,000 miles, the tires are michelin ltx m/s with about 20,000 miles on them, evertime i check them they got the same pressure as what i put in them all the way around which is 34.5. i have no idea what could be wrong, a 6 cylinder engine should do a lil better than that to me....,
i do have a heavy foot but ive had one even when it was gettin decent gas milage... any help would be nicee
 



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Have you scanned the O2 sensors?
 






Heres a list of things to start with.

Driving Habbits
Tire pressure
Dragging brakes
Air Filter (if you have an air filter that requires oil, if over oiled the oil can get on the MAF)
Fuel Filter (One bad tank of fuel can clog a fuel filter)
Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF)
Idle Air Control Unit (IAC)
Oil change (Preferably Synthetic)
Transmission Fuid Change (Preferably Synthetic)
Differential Fluid Change (Preferably Synthetic)
Bad wheel bearings
Intake Leak
Exhaust Leak
Seafoam (Carbon buildup)
Spark Plugs
Spark plug Wires
Thermostat
Radiator Flush
Alignment
Extra weight unneeded weight
Fuel quality (Every tank of fuel and gas station is different)
Compression
02 Sensor
Clogged Fuel Injector(s)

Lots of how to vids in the link in my signature as well.
 






i havent replaced them, the little computer thing at advanced auto gave error code p0174 and p0171 which is engine to lean bank 1 and 2, it only did this when i went through some mud and it got on hte air filter and covered/ruined the maf sensor which is now replaced, the car ran better without the maf on then with the bad one on, any way that is now replaced and engine performance is normal, check engine light isnt gone but i havent takin battery off to reset computer yet either since i got the new maf. guy at advanced auto said it could be the o2 sensers but i replaced the maf and it worked hella lot better.
 






Sounds like you got mud or water in your engine. Do an oil change.
 






^^Or just drive it for a long time until it heats up, any moisture or unwanted liquids will evaporate in a hot engine out the crank case vent tube.
 






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